Twelve Years, Four Psychiatrists and a Boy Named Rory Williams
by The Bad Wolf Who Waited
Summary: Left waiting for a raggedy man who promised he'd return, Amelia Pond dreams of the day she'll travel with the Doctor. Sick of her rambling, Amelia's aunt Sharon sends her to a psychiatrist. Amelia doesn't lose faith, and it seems that her best friend, Rory Williams, believes in the Doctor, too. Amy's POV. Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**So I guess we all have that part of us that wonders about what happened in the twelve years Amy waited, like what her psychiatrists were like or how she and Rory's relationship came to be... I've only just started watching Season Five, so please forgive me if I make any factual errors. Also, this will probably be updated slowly, due to the joys of my Junior Cert -_- Anyway, please read and review! :)**

* * *

"Amelia." Her voice is soft. "Do you know what you're doing here?"

"No," I lie. My voice sounds so small in this big, quiet room.

"Your aunt tells me you have a friend that you're always talking about. A man, she says," Dr. Roberts explains. She knows more than I thought. I decide it's best to just tell the truth.

"I do. He's a bit raggedy, my friend. A raggedy man," I tell her.

"And when did you meet this 'raggedy man'?"

"A few months ago. My aunt was out, and I was still awake because the crack in my wall was scaring me. He crashed into my garden in a big, blue box." I regret giving away that much information as soon as the words have left my mouth.

"A blue box?" Dr. Roberts asks.

"Yeah," I reply quietly. "I thought he was a policeman at first," I admit. "The box said he was. It said 'Police Public Call Box'. I'd never seen one before. I haven't seen one since, either. Do the police use call boxes? What are they for?" I wonder aloud. She takes a moment to reply.

"No, Amelia, not anymore. They used to, a long time ago."

"How long?" I question, curious.

"They used them about sixty years ago." I wasn't expecting it to be _that_ long!

"Sixty years?!" I gasp. "Wow!"

"Indeed," Dr. Roberts says monotonously. "Back to why you're here," she continues. "Your friend."

"What about him?" I ask suspiciously.

"Well, why don't you tell me a bit more about him?" Her tone is suddenly more friendly than before.

"I don't know very much about him, miss," I admit sheepishly. "Though he's a very picky eater, I know that."

"What else? Has he got a name?" I pause before answering, wondering whether I should tell her.

"His name is the Doctor," I say eventually.

"The Doctor..." she repeats quietly. "I see," she says. "Do you have any other friends, or is it just the Doctor?"

"Well, I have other friends at school. But the Doctor is the only grown-up friend I have."

"Did the Doctor have any friends with him?"

"No. He was alone. I wanted to go with him, but he said it was too dangerous," I sigh. He said he'd be back in five minutes. Where is he? I don't know where he could have gotten to. Five minutes is what he said. It's been two months, and he still isn't back. I want to go with him when he comes this time, I want to see how he knows all those strange things about the crack and who's in it...

"Amelia?" Dr. Roberts's voice pulls me out of my daydream.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"Did you hear what I was saying?" she asks, somewhat impatient.

"You were asking if the Doctor had any friends with him."

"Yes, but then I asked if there was anyone at all he knew. Friends or bad people."

"Prisoner zero," I say immediately. The words tumble uncontrollably out of my mouth. "Prisoner zero has escaped. That's what the crack said. I think the Doctor is going to help me find out who that is, when he comes back."

"The Doctor is coming back, then?" she enquires, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course he is. The raggedy Doctor promised he'd be back," I tell her confidently.

"I see," she says again. There is an awkward silence for a moment.

"Can I go now, miss?" I ask. She sighs.

"Yes, Amelia, I suppose you can. I'll see you next week."

"Alright then," I reply. I get up from the squishy chair in Dr. Roberts's room and walk towards the door. I turn around before I leave.

"Thank you," I say.

"No problem," she replies, finally smiling. I return her smile and then leave the room.


	2. Chapter 2

When I leave the psychiatrist's office, Aunt Sharon is waiting for me. She gets up from her seat and guides me out of the building. We drive home in silence, both of us as unwilling to discuss the fact that I'm seeing a psychiatrist as the other. She's tired of me talking about my raggedy man, she says. Apparently it's unhealthy, so she invested in some help for me. I don't understand any of this. I'm just talking about my friend while I wait for him to come back. What's unhealthy about that?

We arrive home after about twenty minutes of awkwardness. I finally ask her what I've been wanting to ask for the whole trip.

"Am I allowed to tell Rory about Dr. Roberts?" Aunt Sharon doesn't bother looking at me as she replies.

"I suppose so," she sighs. "You'd have told him even if I said you shouldn't, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," I admit sheepishly. "Is he coming for dinner today?" I ask, suddenly excited.

"Yes, actually," she answers, opening the front door. I smile to myself and run upstairs to my room as soon as the door is open. I've done some more drawings of the Doctor that I have to show Rory. I think he believes me, at least. Maybe one day he'll meet the Doctor, too.

"What time is Rory coming?" I call down to my Aunt.

"Half four," she replies. I glance at the clock. It's four already, only half an hour to go! I decide to get some things ready for us to play with.

I rummage through the papers on my desk to find my new drawings. I leave them on my bed so I'll find them easily when Rory comes. As I wonder what we can do when he arrives, a brilliant idea strikes me. I know _exactly_ what we can do.

* * *

Half an hour later, I sit at the bottom of the stairs, facing the front door. As soon as I hear a knock, I yank the door open.

"Rory!" I say excitedly. I pull him into a hug. When I let go, I see his cheeks have gone pink. He's always been a bit shy about hugging. His mother grins down at us.

"I'll be back at eight to pick him up," she informs me.

"Okay!" I reply happily.

"Don't forget to tell Sharon," she adds. I nod, but I know I won't bother. Aunt Sharon rarely comes to the door, and she doesn't care about when Rory comes and goes. She's always told beforehand by Rory's mother, but other than that, she doesn't involve herself.

Rory's mum kisses his cheek (causing him to blush again), says she'll see us later, and waves us goodbye. Once she's gone, I pull Rory upstairs.

"I've got new drawings," I tell him. "And a great new game!" I take the drawings off my bed and hand them to him.

"Wow!" he says in admiration. "I think you should be an artist when you grow up!"

"Don't be silly, you know I'm going to be an adventurer," I remind him.

"You could be a drawing adventurer!" he suggests. I giggle.

"You should come with me some day," I say, surprising myself. I hadn't meant to say it; it just popped out of my mouth.

"That would be really good!" he replies, grinning. "Now, what's the new game?"

"Oh, yes, new game! Well, I think we should play a new pretending game," I say.

"What kind?" he asks.

"An adventure one." I pause for effect. "I want you to dress up as the raggedy man, and we can go on adventures together," I explain. He smiles in reply.

"That sounds really, really good!" he says excitedly. "But how will I dress like a raggedy person?" I take a moment to think about this.

"I have a blue shirt that's a little bit big for me. You could try wearing that," I suggest.

"Ok!" he agrees. I retrieve the shirt from my wardrobe and hand it to him. He inspects it for a moment. "You can't look at me when I'm changing," he says shyly.

"Oh, sorry," I reply awkwardly, turning around.

"You can look now," he informs me a few seconds later. I turn back around to look at him. The shirt is also too big for him, and it works rather well.

"Tuck one side into your trousers," I tell him, "and then it will be just right." He does as I ask.

"Ta-da!" he says, holding his arms out. I laugh.

"Come on then, raggedy man!" I take his hand and lead him out to the garden. "Let's find prisoner zero!" I shout.

We spend more than an hour searching the garden for Prisoner Zero. We look in the bushes, climb the trees to check the branches, and even peek through the gaps in the fence to my next door neighbour's garden. Eventually, Aunt Sharon calls us in for dinner.

"Coming!" I call back. I turn to Rory. "Don't tell her who you're dressed up as, ok? I have some things to tell you after dinner. Just don't say you're dressed up like the Doctor." He nods and mimes zipping his lips closed.  
"I won't say anything," he promises. I smile at him and we go inside.

* * *

After dinner, I sit Rory down beside me on my bed.

"Aunt Sharon is making me go to a special doctor person. A doctor for people's minds," I explain quietly.

"Why?" he asks. His concern is clearly visible on his face.

"She says I shouldn't talk about the Doctor so much," I tell him sadly. "I don't think she believes he's real," I whisper.

"But he really is real, isn't he?"

"Of course he is," I assure Rory. "I would never lie to you."

"Good," he says. I look at the clock and notice it says 7:55.

"Quick!" I say suddenly. "You have to get changed before your mum gets back!"

Rory jumps off the bed and grabs his shirt from the floor.

"Close your eyes!" I do so, and a moment later he says it's okay to open them. I take the shirt from him and return it to my wardrobe, just as there's a knock on the door downstairs. We run down the stairs and I open the door.

"Hello Mrs. Williams," I say, seeing Rory's mum.

"Hello Amelia," she replies, smiling. "Ready to go, Rory?" Rory nods. His mother's eyebrows furrow as she looks down at him. "Rory... What have you been doing? Why is your shirt on backwards?" I look over and see that she's right. He must have accidentally put it on backwards when he was changing in a hurry. Before I can stop myself, I laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

The months go by, and my visits to Dr. Roberts, though no longer weekly, get worse as they go on. She bombards me with questions about the Doctor, wanting to know everything I do. She's disappointed with how little I know about him, and she keeps asking if he's come back yet. She gets a bit confused when I tell her I've only seen him once.  
On my seventh visit, she seems to be very frustrated over the fact that he hasn't come back.

"I don't understand, Amelia," she tells me. "Have you really only seen him once? Just that one night?"MUM"Yes," I confirm. "He came that night in the blue box and he hasn't come back yet."

"But you know he's coming back?"

"Yes, I know he's coming back. He promised," I explain.

"It just doesn't make sense," Dr. Roberts says. She says it so quietly that I think she was saying it more to herself than to me.

"He said he'd be five minutes." I've never said this to her before, but it has been building up inside me and I need to let it out.

"You haven't told me that before," she says. I ignore the statement.

"Five minutes, he said. Where is he? Why did he go?" I can hear the sadness in my voice. I don't realise I'm crying until my hand automatically wipes the tears from my face. Dr. Roberts takes a tissue from her desk and hands it to me awkwardly.

"Thank you," I say, taking it and drying my face.

"You can go now, Amelia. Maybe your Auntie will get you a treat on the way home," she says, smiling gently. It's clear that she's trying to make me feel better, but it doesn't help.

"Maybe," I reply quietly. I know my Aunt won't get me anything.

I leave the office and meet my Aunt in the waiting room, as usual. Even now, when it's obvious I've been crying, she doesn't say a word to me. I didn't expect her to, but it's still upsetting to have my expectations met.

Halfway to our house, I decide I really don't want to go home and be alone in my room all afternoon.

"Can you take me to Rory's house?" I ask her quietly. She looks at me, surprised that I spoke at all.

"I don't know, you shouldn't really just barge in when you haven't been invited over," she answers, frowning.

"Mrs. Williams said it's okay. She said I can come over whenever I want to, because I'm like family," I say desperately. All of it is true, of course. I don't like lying, not even to my Aunt Sharon.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. Please, please take me to Rory's," I beg.

"Alright then," she sighs. She takes the next left and we're on our way to the Williams' house.

I jump out of the car as soon as we arrive.

"I'll be back at seven to pick you up," my aunt says, disinterested.

"Ok," I reply. I shut the car door and go to ring the doorbell. Mr. Williams answers the door.

"Hello, Amelia!" he greets me cheerfully. He must notice that I've been crying, then, because he asks if I'm alright.

"I'm okay," I tell him. "I just want to play with Rory."

"He's in his room," Mr. Williams informs me. I thank him and run up the stairs.

Rory is sitting on his bed, reading a book when I come into the room.

"Hi!" he says. Then he sees my face. "What's wrong?" I sit beside him before I reply.

"He said he'd be five minutes, Rory. Where is he?" I struggle not to cry again. I haven't had the chance to be upset about it before.

"I don't know where he is, but he said he'd be back. That's the important part." Rory was a naturally comforting person, but the tears started again, anyway.

"I just want to have a real life adventure, and he's supposed to be back by now," I mumble sadly.

"It's okay. It will all be okay," he reassures me. We sit in silence for a few moments, and he lets me cry.

That's the first time Rory Williams holds my hand.

I'm surprised, at first, when his warm fingers lace through mine, which are wet from wiping my tears away. I suddenly feel too shy to look up at him, but I know that if I did, he'd be blushing. That's just Rory's way. Neither of us speak, and we sit there for a long while. I stop crying at some point. He squeezes my hand gently, and I finally look up at him. He's wearing a small smile, and I feel one spreading across my own face. We go downstairs, then, so we can play in the garden. Rory still doesn't let go of my hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry if this chapter's a bit boring, I thought it was an important little event and I wanted to write about it :)**

* * *

I sit on the floor of my bedroom, my various different art sets surrounding me. Pencils, markers, glue sticks and all sorts of things litter the entire floor. I'm working on something new, something more special than a drawing. It takes a lot of effort and creativity, but I want to have something for Rory and myself to play inside, as winter is approaching. Normally we play our pretending adventure game outside. We still haven't found Prisoner Zero.

A pile of crumpled paper and discarded Sellotape lies beside me; the result of my failed attempts at making my new project. I'm beginning to get very frustrated, because nothing is working out the way I want it to. I look around at all the things I could use. Paper is obviously not working for me. Cardboard, I decide, would be too difficult. I spy a packet of pipe cleaners, and I pick it up to have a look. They seem like they're worth a try.

I take two pipe cleaners out of the plastic wrapping and wind them together. _That should work as the body_, I think. I take another and cut it in half to form two acceptable arms, then another two for legs. It's all working fine until I have to make a head. Not knowing what else to do, I roll a few of the pipe cleaners into a ball. It looks decent enough. I stick all the pieces together and I have a basic body shape.

The clothes are much more difficult. I manage to make them from paper and an awful lot of Sellotape. They look a bit messy, but I suppose that adds to the effect. He is raggedy, after all. I glue some wool to the top of his 'head' to make hair, and finally I take my markers and draw a face.

I hold my work up in front of me and smile. _One raggedy Doctor doll_, I think to myself happily. I place him safely under my bed, where Aunt Sharon won't find him. She barely ever comes into my room, but I still want to be careful.

I set to work making an Amelia doll. Once she's finished, I wonder if I should make a Rory one. There would be too many for us to play with, then, but it's the thought that counts, right? I decide to make one, and I leave him beside the other two under the bed. It'll be nice, thinking that they're all there to protect me when I go to sleep. It's hard for me to sleep when the crack in my wall is making noise.

I tidy everything up, and then I sit down again and begin to to think. I think about seeing Dr. Roberts that afternoon. She told me that she'll be able to tell me what's wrong and why my aunt sent me to her very soon. I want to know, but I'm also a bit scared. There isn't really anything wrong with me, is there? I guess I'll find out on my next visit.

Then I think about Rory. We haven't seen each other outside school for nearly two weeks, when he held my hand. I seem to be unable to stop thinking about it. Nobody had ever held my hand before that, especially not a _boy_. Boys are all yuck, except for Rory. I don't understand all those silly teenagers who have boyfriends. Why would they want them? I'm very happy with Rory being my best friend, because we don't do icky stuff like kissing. Gross! I don't want to be a teenager if I have to do that. I'm nearly nine, anyway, I'm big already.

"Amelia!" Aunt Sharon's voice pulls me back to the present.

"What is it?" I call down.

"Dinner!" she replies. I sigh, then get up to go downstairs. While I'm eating, I think about the dolls I made, all tucked up under the bed. A smile finds its way onto my face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the follows, reviews and favourites, guys :) I hope you're enjoying my story!**

* * *

Dr. Roberts's office is now familiar to me. The half-drawn curtains, the miniature pot plant on the left side of her desk, the photo of her dog on the mantelpiece behind her and the small sofa I across from her are all sights I am used to. Today, she is quiet, which does nothing to calm my nerves. She's finished with her questions, and she's due to deliver her 'diagnosis', as she calls it, during this visit. I sit for what feels like a lifetime, waiting for her to speak.

"Well, Amelia," she begins. "I think I've formed a fair idea of the problem at hand here." She gets up from behind her desk and sits beside me on the couch, which she's never done before. I look up at her worriedly. I can feel my heart beating very quickly.

"There isn't really anything wrong with you," she explains. Relief floods over me, and I exhale slowly. Dr. Roberts continues. "You just have an imaginary friend, and that is perfectly normal." My relief is quickly replaced by anger.

"Imaginary?" I say quietly.

"Yes. It's alright, loads of children have imaginary friends," she replies, placing her hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"He's not imaginary," I tell her. How could she think that? "He's real. He's coming back!" I shout.

"Now, Amelia -"

"The Doctor said he was coming back for me, and I know that he will! He is _not_ imaginary!" I'm really angry now.

"Amelia, listen. There's no such thing as 'prisoner zero' or cracks in walls that can talk. You made those things up like you made the Doctor up. He isn't real."

"Yes he _IS_!" I scream. This is just ridiculous! "He is very very real and he's coming back!"

"If he said he'd be back in five minutes, why isn't he back yet?" Dr. Roberts asks in a patronising tone.

"I don't know!" I yell back.

"It's because he's not real," she says gently, squeezing my shoulder. Blinded by anger, I turn my head and bite her hand. Hard.

"Ow!" she squeals. She pulls her hand away from me, astonished. "How dare you?" she asks angrily.

"The Doctor is real! You don't know anything!" I shout at her. I jump up from the couch and run out of the office.

"We need to go now," I tell my Aunt Sharon, who was sitting and reading a magazine. She looks up at me, confused. Dr. Roberts appears at the door to her office, rubbing her bitten hand with her uninjured one.

"Miss Pond, I think it's best if Amelia doesn't return to my practice," she says. I fold my arms angrily and glare at her.

"Good!" I reply. I walk outside before either of the women get the chance to say anything to me. I lean against the car and wait for my aunt to come out. She approaches me a minute later.

"Amelia Jessica Pond," she says slowly. "You just did a very, very bad thing. That was incredibly rude and uncalled for." I stare at the ground while she gives out to me. "You're grounded for a month. Get in the car."

I get into the car and slam the door loudly behind me. It then dawns on me that I won't be going to Rory's for a whole month, and that's what makes the tears start. I cry silently for the entire journey home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again everybody! I feel I should warn you that updates will probably be slower from now on, as my exams are getting close... SAD FACE. Also, I'd like to thank Laughy-Taffy the Grape, tenthintardis, 14AmyChan and the guests for your positive reviews! And of course thanks to everyone who followed/favourited. These things really make my day! :) Without further ado, here is chapter six!**

* * *

It's a long and painful month. It seems that I want to be out of the house and with Rory even more when I'm not allowed to be. In addition, Aunt Sharon forbade Rory from coming to see me during the month. It's a very lonely time for me. I wish more than ever that the Doctor would return, and I spend an awful lot of time looking out my bedroom window, hoping he'll appear in his blue box. He never does. The days are dull and uneventful, but the nights are worst. That's when the voices come from the crack in my wall. Sometimes I spend the whole night awake, staring at it, terrified. Sometimes I try to just close my eyes and force myself to sleep. Sometimes I even imagine the Doctor is there with me, protecting me. I get the most sleep on those nights.

Luckily, the month I'm grounded for ends just as the Christmas holidays begin. As I sit at the dinner table with Aunt Sharon on my first official day of freedom, she tells me that she's invited Rory to stay the night. I grin widely.

"Thank you!" I tell her. She returns my smile, which is a rare occurrence.

"I thought it would be nice, to celebrate your... Well, freedom," she replies. She looks at the clock and adds, "He should be here in an hour."

"Thank you thank you thank you!" I gush, going over and hugging her.

"I may have to go out later, though. Will you and Rory be okay alone? You won't be scared, will you?" she asks. I laugh.

"I'm not scared of anything," I assure her. I think of the night the Doctor came, when he asked if my aunt had left me alone. I told him I wasn't scared. I was seven then, I'm definitely not scared now.

"Well, good," my aunt replies.

"Really good!" I say. "I'm going to go and get some games ready!" I tell her. Then I run upstairs to my bedroom, my smile still spread across my face.

* * *

Rory arrives just on time. I practically pounce on him as soon as I've opened the door, before he even has time to greet me. I hug him really tightly.

"I missed you!" I tell him.

"I missed you, too," he replies, returning my hug. His father, who came to drop him off, smiles down at us.

"Don't forget your bag, buddy," he says, holding out a small backpack. Rory pulls away from the hug and takes his bag.

"Thanks, dad." He smiles at his father.

"See ya in the morning, kiddo!" Mr. Williams ruffles Rory's hair and waves goodbye. I close the door and grin at Rory.

"C'mon!" I squeal excitedly. We run upstairs to my room.

"Wait," Rory says when I close the door. "Before we play anything, I need to ask you something. What did you do to get grounded for a whole month?"

"I bit Dr. Roberts," I admit sheepishly. He looks at me in disbelief.

"You bit her?"

"Yeah," I mumble. Suddenly, Rory laughs.

"You bit her!" he repeats. "You actually bit her!" I find myself laughing with him. I suppose it is a funny concept.

"Yep!" I say.

"You're so funny! I do love you, Amelia," he tells me. To my surprise, I feel myself blushing a little.

"I love you, too," I reply. "Now, who wants to play a game?"

"Me, of course!" he shouts, raising his hand. I laugh again. I really did miss him. I go to my wardrobe and take out the blue shirt, which is now quite scruffy from all our games. I hand it to Rory and close my eyes while he changes.

"Ready?" he asks excitedly.

"More than ever!" I answer, grinning. We run downstairs and out into the garden.

"I want you back in before it's dark!" Aunt Sharon calls out to us.

"Okay!" I shout back.

We run towards our favourite tree and climb to the top. We can see nearly the whole village from up here.

"Any signs of the prisoner?" I ask Rory.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," he replies. I hand him the telescope I hid in the branches a couple of months before.

"Try this. You can see the whole universe with it!" I tell him. He takes it from me and places the wrong side against his eye.

"I don't think it's working, Amelia," he says, confused. I giggle.

"You're holding it the wrong way, silly!" I take the telescope and hold it the right way for him.

"Oh! I see now. I think the stars are coming out soon," he murmurs. He turns to look at me. "D'you think that's where the Doctor is? In the stars?"

"Maybe," I say, gazing up at the sky.

"Maybe he can take you there one day," Rory whispers.

"I'll make him take you, too," I inform him. "Amelia Pond, Rory Williams and the Doctor. Sounds good, right?" I grin at him.

"Yeah," he replies, a smile spreading across his own face. "It sounds just right."


	7. Chapter 7

**Guess who I love? Whoever is still reading this :)**

* * *

Rory and I go back inside just as the sun settles itself down on the horizon. It seems that Aunt Sharon has left, as she said she would.

"I don't really like being alone," Rory admits, blushing slightly.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" I tell him. I smile reassuringly, and he brightens up a bit.

"Does this mean we can stay up late?" he asks.

"Yup!" I answer, excited. "We can stay up and see all the stars properly!"

"I've never gotten to stay up that late before..."

"Well, this is going to be great fun for you, then!" I say. "There's nothing like watching the stars in the night sky. It's one of my favourite things ever!"

"Do you wish on them?" Rory asks me abruptly.

"Pardon?"

"Do you wish on the stars? Like in fairy tales?" I pause momentarily, taken aback.

"Yes," I admit. "That's the strongest kind of wishing. Sometimes only the stars listen."

"I've always wanted to wish on a star. This is going to be my first chance," he whispers. I smile softly at him.

"I'm glad I get to be the one with you," I reply.

We go upstairs to my room, where Rory picks up his bag.

"I'll just go change in the bathroom..." he says shyly. He leaves the room, and I find myself smiling at his awkwardness. I also change, putting on my favourite nightie and a pair of bunny slippers. I take the pillows from my bed and place them beside the window, ready for our stargazing. I wonder absentmindedly if we'll be lucky enough to see a shooting star, the best kind to wish on. Rory returns a minute later, putting the 'Doctor' shirt back in my wardrobe before joining me by the window.

"Not long now," I tell him.

"I'm so excited!" he replies, grinning. "This is going to be great!"

"You can kind of see them already. It's getting darker," I say.

"It's kind of hard to see from here," Rory mutters, craning his neck in an attempt to see out the window more easily.

"Move this way, then," I sigh, pulling him closer to me.

"Much better!" he says happily, smiling at me.

"You know, I think I want a treehouse for Christmas," I murmur out of the blue. "I could see the stars more easily from it, and it would also be fun when you came for sleepovers. Like a secret clubhouse," I muse.

"Yeah! Treehouses are cool!" Rory replies.

"We could paint it, too," I say. "Any way we want, 'cause it's our place."

"What colour would it be?"

"Blue," I answer automatically. "Definitely blue."

"I like blue. And we could have cushions to sit on, and we can stick your drawings up on the walls!" he suggests.

"Yeah, that would be great! And we can put my telescope in, too, and teddies!"

"Then we can stay up till whatever time we want, 'cause nobody would know if we're awake!"

"And if we ever need somewhere to hide, we can go there, too," I say more quietly. Rory looks concerned.

"Why would we need somewhere to hide?" he asks, frowning.

"Sometimes I just want to be alone," I reply dejectedly.

"I wish we lived together, so I could always be there to cheer you up when you're feeling sad," he says quietly, looking me in the eyes.

"Maybe one day. Who knows what'll happen in the future?" He breaks the eye contact suddenly, his cheeks becoming rosy, and gazes out the window. I smile. We sit in silence for a few minutes, until Rory asks me another question.

"Do you think if two people wish on the same star at the same time, their wish will definitely come true?" he whispers. I take a moment to ponder this.

"Yeah, I think so," I answer.

"Better pick a star, then," he says, smiling gently. We both look out the window, searching for the right star to wish on. Just then, a shooting star travels past, leaving a trail of light behind it.

"That one?" he asks quietly.

"That one," I confirm, taking his hand. We shut our eyes tight and make our wish.


End file.
